My Nut Shell

New and Improved

2009-06-21T23:33:00.002-06:00

Well, it is time. After much demand for updated information, we have created a new blog for both Blake and myself. If you would like to continue in the saga of our lives, join in at jessnblake.blogspot.com. See you there!!

Okay, I'm addicted...

2009-04-05T12:01:00.005-06:00

And to prove the previously mentioned addiction.... Here are a few more of my latest projects.

A bit of color change...

A switch of backgrounds...

A bit of a learning experience, but fun!

Just a slight touch with the colors (nothing with the water though)...

Enjoy! :)

Photoshop Fun

2009-04-01T20:17:00.007-06:00

So, lately I've been exploring the wonderful world of Photoshop. I think I've become addicted, but running out of the simple options to play with. Yeah, definitely not great at it, but I had some fun with a few of the cool options and wanted to share a few, so here you go.

A little Mary Poppins reminicent....

From a photo too dark to really see anything, but gorgeous when played with...

One of Blake's favorites...

A funky painted/drawn look...

And an oh so sweet one. My second favorite.

Hope you enjoy, and no, I won't quit my day job just yet... Give it a month. :)

He Asked.....

2009-03-01T16:48:00.007-07:00

And I said YES!

So everyone has an update, yes, it happened! :) I got to Australia on Wednesday morning and was proposed to that night. It wasn't exactly expected on either sides, but as he was vocalizing some oh so sweet words, it flowed naturally to that point. Of course he couldn't use his best material and not ask. :) It was at his house and not what he had planned on doing, so he proposed again on Friday as he initially intended. Who could ask for more? Two proposals in one week! He's lucky I said yes both times. ;)

The second proposal was a good romantic setting of the beach at night. The water was black with the waves crashing in white with the light sandy beaches. There was a cool breeze and amazing stars. I couldn't have asked for anything better.

As for the rest of the trip, it's been a lot of fun with a trip to a wild animal sanctuary (where I was able to hold a koala and baby crocodile, pet kangaroos, and feed Lorakeets), Wet and Wild, and Australian Spectacular. That's all in 4 days! I can't wait to see what the rest of the trip brings. Pictures and more to come (other than the ring of course).

Me - At the Moment

2008-10-16T21:14:00.005-06:00

I am...

i am: sleepy
i think: time can drag on sometimes
i know: November is coming quick
i want: a husky
i have: a lot of things to get done
i miss: the freedom of being in school
i dislike: tomatoes
i fear: being alone in the dark
i feel: anxious
i hear: a hot accent
i smell: good
i crave: a good night sleep
i cry: whenever the general authorities tell those sad/touching stories
i usually: work too much
i wonder: how things will turn out
i regret: that I don't take advantage of every experience that comes my way
i love: the rain
i care: too much sometimes
i always: think
i worry: what's going to happen in my future
i am not: going to stop believing in miracles
i remember: a lot
i believe: in laughing
i dance: in the car
i sing: almost all the time
i don’t always: trust enough
i argue: about dishes
i write: lots of emails
i win: something special
i lose: too much when moving
i wish: I'll get a happy beginning and ending
i listen: intently
i don't understand: the heart
i can usually be found: online
i am scared: of being alone
i need: to have faith
i am happy: most of the time

Birthday Workout

2008-10-05T13:57:00.005-06:00

I'm OLD!!! Okay, so not really old, but older than I was a year ago. :) Instead of going all out and having a rip roaring party, I decided to do something a little more...exhausting. There is a beautiful waterfall up in Layton Canyon, so I convinced a couple friends of mine to put up with my lack of muscle prowess and make the hike. It was beautiful! Unfortunately my camera is too big to take along, so I had to get pictures from the guys' cameras. This is our little group after the 1 1/2 hour hike upwards.

A full view of the waterfall....How in the world am I supposed to get myself AND Jay up that hill?!?!?

It was a great hike and I'm glad that I talked my friends into coming with me and their patience in waiting whenever I couldn't breathe for a few minutes. Yay for the amazing ability of the mind to quickly erase the memory of pain! :D

When the Parents are Away

2008-07-26T12:07:00.005-06:00

My parents left early yesterday morning to go on a vacation to Washington State. So, what to do while the parents are away..... Crazy parties? Not doing any dishes? Leaving things laying around? Watch TV all day? Anything I darn well want to do...
Well, ever since I was a kid, I would go crazy trying to find food to eat. My brother and I had a certain route we would take every time we were looking for a snack. Fridge, closet (pantry), downstairs (food storage), repeat. Amazingly enough, nothing ever seemed to magically appear after the first few cycles. So, I decided to be ambitious and do a little organizing to more quickly see available foods.

And for the closet....

If anybody ever needs any hot chocolate.... we have quite the collection. Amazingly enough, only two flavors were repeated.

So, now that I can find the food, time to party! ;)

TAG

2008-06-23T17:54:00.005-06:00

Instead of emailing this to everybody, this works just as well. :) Enjoy.

Two names you go by:
1. Jess
2. Jessica

Two things you are wearing right now:
1. Bracelet
2. Bobby pin

Two longest car rides:
1. Salt Lake to Sterling, VA
2. Sterling, VA to Salt Lake

Two of your favorite things to do:
1. Go up to Logan for a weekend
2. Play with my nieces

Two things you want very badly at the moment:
1. A non upset stomach
2. The weekend

Three animals you have or have had:
1. cat - Spike
2. dog - Annie
3. fish - I think I called him Rainbow or something silly

Three people who will fill this out:
1. Someone who feels like it
2. Someone who's bored
3. Someone who's feeling lazy

Things you ate today:
1. Instant Breakfast
2. Mac and Cheese

Two people you last talked to:
1. Dad
2. People still at work

Two things you're doing tomorrow:
1. Work
2. Eat

Two favorite holidays:
1. 1st day of Fall (I think it should count)
2. Christmas

Favorite Drinks:
1. Water
2. Orange Juice
3. Blackberry Lemonade

If You Get Married In June..

2008-06-17T17:46:00.005-06:00

Dear ol' David got hisself hitched this past weekend! It was a pretty hectic weekend with all of the family here, but it was a lot of fun. Especially since I got to play with my adorable nieces!

It was great to see my brother so happy together with his new wife. I'm happy to welcome Megan into our family. It'll be fun to have a sister my age!

Congrats you two!!!

Memories for Memorial Day

2008-05-28T17:28:00.003-06:00

This Memorial weekend I was able to escape to my little piece of Heaven (aka Logan)! Being down in West Valley makes me miss it all the more, so every chance I get (when I can afford gas), I make the trip up. Although it was rainy everywhere else, Logan held onto sunshine for most of the weekend. However, it had rained almost the whole week before so it was beautiful. I'm willing to live with some rain to get that kind of green everywhere!
I was also lucky that a bunch of my friends were still in town, so we had lots of fun. I've never gone golfing, so we went and hit a bucket of balls (didn't miss too much and had some pretty good hits), played horseshoes, went to Indiana Jones, played frisbee, went bowling, played more horseshoes, cleaned a church (I have sore legs from all the squats you don't realize you're doing until after), and went shotgun shooting with a group of guys. I didn't shoot at first, but when I realized they were missing a lot, I didn't feel so nervous and took my turn. I had about 5 really good shots. I just won't tell you out of how many... :)
A couple of my friends and I also went to IHOP for breakfast/lunch for Memorial Day and had a really fun experience. While we were waiting and waiting and waiting.... we met this older gentleman who had come by himself. He was one of the infamous summertime Pineview dwellers who just wanted a stack of pancakes and sausages. Well, when they finally got around to seating us, we didn't want to make him eat alone, so we invited him to eat with us. He had some great stories to tell and we loved listening to him.
All in all, the two and a half hour drive up to that beautiful place was well worth the trip (and the gas).

Oh How Quickly Time Flies By

2008-05-06T18:22:00.002-06:00

As I have watched a great number of my close friends graduate this year, I've done a little reminiscing over the past year since I was in their shoes. I found it hard to believe that as of yesterday, it had been a full year. What has happened in that year? Was it a year I could be proud of? Would I tell my kids about that amazing first year after graduating? It is one of the hardest and yet most exciting times in one's life. Did I take full advantage of it?
Trying to answer all those questions has been interesting. I can't believe a full year has passed! Wow, time flies! However, I wouldn't want to change much at all. I was able to spend a lot of time watching my niece grow. It's amazing how the simple thing of standing up can be so exciting! Children are simply amazing and wonderful to spend time with. It was also great getting to know my sister and her husband better. Living in a different state was also a wonderful experience. Meeting a lot of really good people who have become good friends as well as adapting to a different culture made a great impact on my life.
Now, I am back in Utah, I have a fun job, and I can't wait to see what another year will bring.
:)

15 Things

2008-04-30T12:25:00.004-06:00

Well, Julie tagged me to tell some things about myself, so here are my 15 things.

3 joys:
~my nieces
~music (singing, guitar, etc.)
~nature (taking pictures, hiking, camping, etc.)

3 fears:
~rejection
~not being good at my new job
~losing people I love

3 goals:
~being 100% debt free
~wasting less time and doing something productive with the time I have
~work on becoming a better version of myself

3 current obsessions/collections:
~I too have a key chain collection but I haven't added to it or use them much
~longboarding - so much fun, even after falling.... :)
~taking nature pictures - not super good, but hey, every so often I get a few really good ones

3 random/surprising facts:
~one of my more common nicknames is Invisible
~I am a true geek/nerd - I love math, computer stuff, technology, reading, etc.
~my feet have a tendency to turn purple - for kicks and giggles apparently

Well, there ya have it. Whether or not you want to know these random details of my life, here they are. :)

More Beginnings

2008-04-18T11:01:00.014-06:00

I had the wonderful opportunity to go to my friend's wedding yesterday and see her start a new life with her husband. It was so fun to see them both so happy and ready to jump into that next step in life. I was also lucky in getting the opportunity to take some pictures around the temple grounds, so here are a few of my favorites.

Not bad for my camera phone eh?

Another beginning is that I was offered a job! I'll be a project manager for 3form here in West Valley. The company does a lot of design type work and I'll be making a pretty good salary. Especially for being on my own. I'll be starting on May 1st, so I'll have a couple weeks of play until I start and work my butt off. :) Wish me luck!

In the Beginning....

2008-04-18T10:27:00.003-06:00

I've been thinking about creating a blog with my thoughts and current activities for quite a while now. Most of the people I know have it with their spouses, but I figure it's generally the girls that post anyway, so.... Here I am! :) I'll do my best in trying to keep it updated and I hope all enjoy.